The evening began its slow descent upon Great Crystal City. The sunset's light glinted from the giant gemstone in the city's center, casting exotic rays of color down every street.
Lily unenthusiastically trudged back down Clear Diamond Street, back toward the city park where she would meet with Mary one last time. Her step was slow, as a single thought circled in her mind:
What now?
There were many things on her mind, to be honest. She felt her heartbeat quickening as the dread of the night loomed in the air, noting how the city residents made themselves scarce in the streets, and those that remained had a jump in their step that resembled Mary's hastiness to get home on their first day of traveling. But first and foremost on her mind, she considered the two guilds she'd visited that day, weighing their credentials, and wondering if the other exploration guilds had anything else to offer.
Those were the only two guilds I heard about, Lily contemplated. Neither of them seemed… right for me. There must be something else. There must be some other guilds here… I've got to ask around, get their names… otherwise… I'm just here. Lost… in a world I don't know…
Lily rolled her eyes at herself, forcing a spring into her step.
There I go again, she scolded herself. That butterfly was right. What kind of an explorer am I supposed to be if I can't find something that's a little hard to find? This is only my first day here, for crying out loud, and already I'm feeling sorry for myself!? Ambera is downright amazing. It has everything I want! I can be happy here, I know it… I just… I've got to figure out how.
But then, the little Chikorita turned the corner onto a road called Hematite Way, and found herself staring straight down an empty road into the very heart of the city. The crystal sat on the horizon, filled to every corner with the glorious rays of the sunset which sat behind it. She stood for a moment, stunned at the touching picture before her, watching the purples and yellows and orange-pinks dance around the crystal's surface as if it were filled with the ocean's water. Her face began to tingle as she failed to breathe for a few moments.
This place called to me, Lily told herself, letting the vision burn into her eyes. Ambera called out to me, and now I'm here. I found it. Now… I'll answer that call. One day at a time. No matter what it takes.
She blinked, jerking her consciousness out of the trance, as she realized that the light was fading and that a shadow from a nearby curb corner had grown to touch her front toe.
Well, tomorrow, it is, Lily decided. Today… I sleep on everything. Can't be caught out with those ghosts, after all.
She took two steps in down the street toward the glimmering, beckoning crystal… before a familiar voice called her name.
"Lily," the powerful, growling voice said to her from an adjacent street. "A surprise to meet you here. You should think about seeking shelter. Ambera's eve is merciful to none, even one as strong as I."
Surprised, Lily turned her head. At first, the burned visage of the crystal remained in her eyes, blocking her view of the voice's source. After blinking it away, though, she recognized the figure as Aggron, the leader of the Iron Golems, looking as though it was taking a stroll down the black-bricked street. It smiled at her. With intrigue, but a little wariness, she crossed the sidewalk to meet with the giant Pokémon.
"How has your day been, little one?" it asked gently. "Have you decided yet upon a suitable guild?"
"N…no, actually," Lily said apologetically, fearing it would offend the great best. "Still… still looking around."
"Do not feel ashamed," the Aggron said, bowing its head and smiling warmly. "It is understandable. I wish you all the graces of Groudon in your search. Heh heh, I did not expect you to accept my offer. Truth be told, I thought I was hallucinating when my eyes first lay upon you. Couldn't imagine why you would even consider my guild an option in the first place. However…"
The ground shook as the Aggron took a few steps down the road, focusing for a moment on his destination.
"…I saw something in you, little Chikorita," the guildmaster almost whispered. "I do not know what it was… but there was a glimmer of… something. You were displaced in my cavern. I saw the fear in your eyes of the lava, the lack of sunlight… but through it all… something in you was shining to my eyes, and I could not ignore it. If it happened to be the case that… maybe… maybe you were serious, maybe this was what you desired… if that would be so… then I would make it perfectly clear that my way of life was fully open to you."
"Thank you, guildmaster Aggron," Lily replied, nodding her head. "You're very kind."
"I would hope so," Aggron laughed heartily. "One cannot handle a position such as mine by being careless. In any case, I wish you the best in your excursion of Great Crystal City. There are many more options available to you, if only you would seek them. And, listen, little Chikorita… if ever there would arise an issue where you think I could offer assistance… Consider me a string you could pull."
Huh, Lily thought. That's unusually kind of him…
"Again, thank you, great Aggron" Lily said. "I'll keep it in mind!"
The Aggron grunted, glancing downtown at the sunset.
"Well, we should be on our separate ways, now," he declared. "The dimming sunlight demands it… say, Lily?"
"…Yes?" Lily replied meekly.
"In your search for a guild," he replied thoughtfully, "You haven't, by chance… visited Team Echo yet?"
"Team Echo?" she echoed. "I haven't heard of them yet… are they an exploration team?"
"Treasure hunters, the best of their kind," the rock monster hummed. "The highest ranking exploration team here in Great Crystal City. Even my Golems hold no candle to them. I was on my way to retrieve an item they borrowed from me. If you'd like… you could come with me. Possibly… have a word with them."
Lily found her interest piqued. A respected guildmaster was… going to put a good word in for her? To the best exploration team in town?
"Some two years ago, they moved here from Salamance Valley, the birthplace of the elite exploration teams," Aggron explained, beginning his steady pace toward his destination with Lily walking beside him. "Since then, they've been perhaps this city's greatest asset. But, I will tell you something… they like to keep to themselves. They're a very secretive team, and they work in mysterious ways."
"A secret club…" Lily mouthed. "Hmm…"
"I suppose you could say that," Aggron said. "They have even been known to go out at night and face the Watchers just to accomplish their tasks. Their skills seem to have no bound."
This sounds promising, Lily told herself. Competent, successful, strong... I like the sound of this team. If Aggron could get me in… wow, it sounds like a harsh team, though, but… it sounds exciting, actually…
Picking up the pace, Aggron continued toward the base of operations for Team Echo, singing their praises the whole way. Lily eagerly strode along beside him.
About a block down the road, they came to a mansion. It wasn't decorative or glitzy in any way like the rest of the buildings in the city. In fact, Lily couldn't even spot a single crystal in all of its architecture. But the building was massive and sturdy, built from dull concrete blocks and adorned with pillars to hold the eave. The ground bulged up around the front door to form a shallow ramp up to the porch. Lily thought to herself that it looked like a cross between a church and a courthouse from the land of the humans, and realized that if she didn't know better, she never would have guessed an exploration team lived here.
Anticipation fluttering in her chest for the third time that day, Lily ascended the ramp at the rock beast's side and prepared to look her best for this interview. She really wanted a chance with these guys.
DONG!! DONG!! DONG!!
Lily cringed and froze in place for a moment, shocked at the sudden sound. She soon realized the doorbell had rung, though neither her nor Aggron had approached the door yet! That's when she looked down, and noticed the entire porch floor had been depressed slightly, like a giant button.
Huh… pressure-sensitive doorbell, Lily thought to herself. Clever. And I bet it keeps the intruders out, too. Works as a security system… Very nice.
"I'll tell you what, little Lily, better stand at the side for now, out of sight," Aggron told her. "They will warm up to seeing a familiar face before meeting a stranger. But… I tell you… if they see in you a glimmer of what I've seen in you, I think you will win their favor…"
Doing as told, Lily walked a few paces down the side of the wall, where she could not easily see the door. There, she sat herself down and waited.
It took over a minute for the guild to answer the door. Lily eyed the dimming sunlight, hoping that she wouldn't somehow end up on the streets at nightfall. She did her best not to think negatively, telling herself that this was her chance. Aggron could get her in. This was the guild she wanted to be a part of.
Ka-Chink.The lock on the wooden door was lifted, making a sound almost as heavy as the doorbell itself. With a tiny creak, the door disappeared to reveal shadows inside.
"Good evening, Aggron," a voice said. "We were expecting you'd drop by. You want your stone gem back?"
"Yes, indeed, Lerik," Aggron said politely. "My team heads for Dusty Fissure in twelve days. I will be needing it back. Otherwise, I'd let you borrow it for longer…"
"Quite alright, it served us well," the voice said. "Here… I will not waste your time, now that the light is dwindling."
A shining, bronze-colored rock was placed in the doorway. Aggron quickly picked it up.
A spark of familiarity flashed before Lily's eyes as the voice echoed through her ears. It was a little raspy, yet polite... She squinted into the doorway, but at her angle, she could barely see anything.
That voice, though… she realized. Do I… know that voice?
"Now, be off, great Aggron, and well wishes on your upcoming task," the voice said.
Lily shook her head. This was her part. She stood to her feet, poised to enter the scene at any point. Aggron eyed her.
"Lerik, there is one other matter of business, if I could so quickly," Aggron said. "It will only be a minute."
"Oh…?" the voice responded. "Hmm… Well, what can we do for you?"
"There is, you see, a visitor at your doorstep," Aggron said. "This little Pokémon visited my base earlier this day, prospecting a position on the team. Though, my guild was not to her liking. But perhaps… yours is?"
The voice didn't respond for a few moments. The tense silence stretched on far longer than it should have. Lily intermittently held her breath until finally Aggron motioned for her to approach. Gritting her teeth and trying not to trip over her own legs, she did.
"This is Lily," Aggron announced. "She wishes to join an exploration team here in Great Crystal City. She has visited… Lily? Is something the matter?"
Lily's gaze was frozen on the Pokémon who stood in the doorway. There stood the Luxio she had seen earlier, smirking back at her.
"The Chikorita from the café," the Lerik the Luxio said, bowing his head in recognition. "Something told me you would wind up here eventually…"
Lily shook her head, dispelling her speechlessness. "H-hey!" was the first thing she could think of to say. "You were… You knew I was looking for an exploration guild. Why didn't you tell me you were on one?"
"It's complicated," the Luxio told her, looking downward. "When I met you at the café, I saw you had a great heart… And… I didn't want you to be heartbroken that we wouldn't let you into the team."
"Hmph, come now, you cannot be so quick to judge such a strong-spirited little Pokémon on principle," Aggron grumbled incredulously. "She has potential. I would have hired her on the spot if that's what she wanted. Give her a chance."
The Luxio's tail flicked in hesitation. He looked to the side, and then stared Lily in the eyes.
"I'm not sure if that's what she wants," Lerik admitted. "Lily… is that it? You want a chance?"
"Yes, I do," Lily said adamantly. "I think I could make it on your team."
"You have no idea what you're getting into," Lerik said sternly. "You have no idea how much training you're going to need… I mean… this takes true dedication. Unlike anything. And it's dangerous."
"I like danger," Lily told him for the second time. "Look, if I join a team, I'm giving it my all. No exceptions. This is going to be my lifelong dedication."
The Luxio opened his mouth to say something else, but he stopped himself. It looked as though he was having trouble spitting out his words.
"Who's there?" another voice said from behind him. "Oh… uh… is there a problem? Lerik?"
A candlelight appeared behind the doorway. In the dim, flickering light, Lily could make out some of the mansion's interior. She saw a stone stairway leading up, some figure made of shining gold, and a picture or perhaps a map lining a wall. But her sight was shortly blocked as a new figure stepped in the way. This was a Pokémon she recognized: a Charmander. The small flame on its tail dispelled the surrounding shadows and brought a glowing orange tint to all the surrounding Pokémon.
"Who's that?" the Charmander asked. "Is that…"
"This… is a Chikorita who wants to… join our team," Lerik said, something like sarcasm in his voice. "I'd have sent her away, but… Aggron insists we give her a chance."
"Then we should give her a chance," the Charmander shrugged. "No harm in trying. I'd take her in, let Nor see her."
"L-lily," the Luxio said again, as if in desperation. "Still… this is… I'm not so sure. Look, this is my friend Charlie here. He hasn't even evolved yet, but we treat him the same as if he was."
"That means I have a chance," Lily challenged. "If you let in under-evolved Pokémon, that shouldn't be an issue for me, should it?"
"I don't evolve because I choose not to. Same reason Lerik here doesn't want to. Same with many of our team members. We stay in our weaker forms to throw off our enemies. They see us, think we're weak, don't consider us a threat. Then we can surprise them with our strength. My fire is just as destructive as your average Charizard."
"I've been training. I'm almost as strong as a Bayleef," Lily claimed. "I could do that."
"We fight the Watchers," Lerik tried. "We face them all the time. You'd have to learn how to fight them off."
"I'd love to," Lily said. "I hate those things. I'd love to go out at night and stand up to them."
"Enough," Aggron grumbled. "This bickering accomplishes nothing. Show her to Nor, or send her away."
Charile and Lerik eyed one another for a moment.
"Fine," Lerik said. "Charlie, get Nor. Tell him… he has an interview. Lily… you're going to regret doing this… don't say I didn't warn you."
Lily frowned at the Luxio, almost hissing at him "look, you don't have to feel sorry for me", but she managed to hold it in. This was, after all, a potential future teammate. Quietly, Lily left Aggron's side and entered the mansion, giving him a nod of gratitude as the door closed between them.
---
To Lily's disappointment, the rooms of the mansion were bare and functional. The golden figure she had seen was nothing but a brass handrail for the stairway. No candles burned except for the Charmander's tail. In all, it looked like a lackluster human building, and she didn't take notice of anything interesting.
However, she did take notice when a giant Pokémon was staring down at her. It wasn't nearly as intimidating as Aggron, but it was much more colorful and dangerous-looking, its body covered with pointed blades and scaly armor. It held itself with an aura that demanded absolute respect, with no traces of generousness or gentleness that Aggron had shown her. Gulping hard, Lily steeled herself as she faced down the Armaldo, ready to defend herself.
She looked around the bare grey room and saw that several of the guild members had gathered to watch the confrontation. Lerik was there, and Charlie, as well as a Sceptile, a Yanmega, a pair of Banette, and a Pidgey. They all looked genuinely surprised to see the Chikorita who'd shown up on her doorstep. Lily had the impression that not even half the guild was present in the room.
"I am Nor," the Armaldo boomed. "I was told you were brought here by Aggron of the Iron Golems to join our guild."
"Yes," Lily said simply. "I was looking today—"
"Quiet, that was not a question," it growled. "Let me tell you how this will work. Aggron is my trusted partner in business, so I will fulfill his wishes and interview you. I will take my actions based upon the answers you give. Please answer succinctly with what is on your mind. Do not sing, do not try to sell yourself to me, or you will not earn my favor."
Lily nodded in understanding. She eyed the Luxio who had tried to push her away. He looked mortified. For a moment, Lily felt smug that she had defied him, but looking closer, she saw that his sadness… wasn't just prideful. There was… something else in there.
Lily bit her lip. He was actually worried for her.
"On what basis do you wish to join my team?" the Armaldo demanded, snapping Lily back to attention.
"I want to be an explorer," Lily said simply, not dressing up her answer with excuses or ramblings. "That's just… what I want."
"Good," Nor said. "That's a start. Now… how badly do you want to be an explorer?"
Lily remembered this question. Aggron had asked her the same thing earlier.
"I… intend to," Lily said, choosing her words carefully.
"Good answer," Nor said, nodding his massive head and pacing a few steps to the right. "And… what do you hope to get out of your career? Money? Riches? Fame?"
"I think I'd be stupid if I didn't want those," Lily said. "But really… what I want most is just to see the world. That's it, really. If I don't get money or riches or fame, just having done the job is reward enough for me."
"Respectable," Nor admitted. "Now… I will ask you a harder question, Chikorita. Pretend you are on an exploration. And… on this exploration, pretend… you find something that you did not wish to find. Something horrible… you wished did not exist. How would you respond to it?"
Lily winced. What kind of a question was this?
Her eyes blanked out for a moment, assembling an answer to this question. But what did it mean? What answer was he looking for?
"I would tell someone," Lily decided. "If it's something bad, I would tell someone I trust. Maybe it would be you. Or my best friends. But I would find someone I know I can trust and tell them about it."
"Hmmmm…." The great bug groaned. "Another difficult question for you: pretend that you are exploring with a teammate, and one of them betrays you and leaves you to die somewhere. But you survive, and you are able to make it back to the base. What do you do?"
"Uh… wow…" Lily gasped for a moment. "Um… I would… uh… honestly? I would be afraid to go back in… but… I would tell you. You have to know that there's a traitor working for you."
"Even though the traitor has probably already convinced me that you were the traitor, and that I should destroy you?" Nor returned powerfully. "A traitor who works for me is a good traitor, indeed. Regardless… next question. Say that you are out on the field with your team. And you make a horrible mistake that is about to result in the death of your entire team. Let's call it a rock slide. There is an opportunity for one Pokémon to survive. Would you take that opportunity? Or would you tell someone else about it so they could survive?"
"Uh…" Lily gasped, speechless. "That's… that's tough. I'd decide who would most deserve to go, I guess… But… uh, wow. That's…"
"Say you discover a dungeon lined to the brim with dangerous traps!" Nor shouted. "Say they injure you to the brink of death. But you know that your team is planning an expedition there, and you know they would be massacred if they attempted it. But you think you are too weak to move. What would you do?"
"I'd… I'd get out, somehow! And warn them!" Lily cried, matching Nor's voice. "I have to. I wouldn't let the team down!"
"Pretend that you're on an exploration, and you find a handful of civilians trapped in a… a dungeon," Nor shouted louder. "But you only have enough supplies to support your own team. What do you do?"
A confused scowl covered Lily's face. "Uh… I'd… uh…"
"Pretend that you and your friend are being threatened by a powerful outlaw who has killed many Pokémon!" Nor boomed. "You have the choice between killing the outlaw for the greater good, or saving your friend's life. What do you do?"
Lily found herself tongue-tied. "I'd… save… I mean… wait…"
"Hah. Heheheheh hah hah." Nor laughed. "Heheheh hah."
Lily blinked. Nor was laughing at her.
"Little Chikorita… you see, life is not as simple as standing up to seize the day," Nor told her. "I have met your kind before, Chikorita. Heh. Heheh. Your kind is cheap to come by. The flamboyant optimist. You can stand at the top of a hill and say that you'll push forward at all costs. That nothing will stop you. But… it is never that simple. You only imagine the decisions where the answer is easy. It isn't how you make the easy decisions, but how you make the difficult ones, that make you strong. When you cannot do what's right, and you must choose between two wrongs, which wrong do you choose?"
Lily clamped her mouth shut, afraid to say anything. Her frown deepened.
"You have much growing to do, Chikorita," Nor said resentfully. "And I do not mean evolution. You don't know how the world works quite yet. And to that… I say… you are useless to me. I see no good reason to invite you onto my taskforce."
Lily bit down on her lip in disappointment. The Luxio breathed a sigh of relief, and she sent him a glare.
"A… alright. Okay." Lily said. "Fine. Thank you for your time, Master Nor. It was… an honor to speak with you."
"Charlie… show this young girl back to the door," Nor ordered. "And Chikorita… there is a Guild… I do believe their office is not too far from here… they call themselves the Evergreen Guild…"
"I know," Lily sighed. "I was there."
"Join them."
Lily looked oddly at the Armaldo.
"Trust me," he said. "Join the Evergreen guild. They will gladly accept you… and you will be happy there. I promise it. They are exactly what you are looking for. My team… is not."
"Come on," Charlie said indifferently, leading her back toward the mansion's front door. "It's late. You'd better get going…"
Feeling her chest tingle, Lily trudged behind the Charmander, sending a hard glare back at the Luxio who'd given her problems… and wondering what, exactly, had just happened.
---
The sky darkened. The sunset was almost absolute. In just two hours, the Watchers would ascend.
"Stupid door…" the Beautifly muttered, fluttering wildly as it tried to force a long plank of wood over the entrance to his guild's office. "Seismic, how many times am I going to have to do this? Please, I beg you… quit stomping the door down…"
With some effort, the butterfly got the hinges to match up and the door fell in place, as the monstrous Torterra watched absently from the street. Finally, he turned the key and locked up for the night.
"Well, that's it, I guess…" Yuu said. "Not a bad day, overall. We got two jobs today, and…"
"Chi-ku!"
"Chiku… what? What are you babbling about now, Seimsic?" Yuu mumbled, flitting away from the door and into the street.
That's when he noticed… standing several feet down the street, halfway hidden in the shadows, was the Chikorita that had so hastily run away earlier that evening.
"Oh… you're back…" Yuu said, dumbfounded, coming to a rest on Seismic's back. "I was just closing up for the night, but…"
"I'm in," Lily said. "I'll be in your guild."
Charile the Charmander was created by charmandertreecko.
---
Author's Note:
If you're wondering why this verse is so long, it's because it got two extra chapters in it. This and Albert's latest chapter were actually results of splitting their respective parts because they were getting too long.
Also, I promised a shiny Golem, but he didn't quite fit as I was imagining him to. So he'll come in a bit later.